


Running Tests

by nyausgris



Series: Earthling AU [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 12:06:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18194366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyausgris/pseuds/nyausgris
Summary: Not all of Webb's tests go perfectly, there's a few here and there where something goes wrong badly enough that he has to be delayed. Again.





	Running Tests

"Are you ready, Webb?" The NASA technician asks, ready to close the door to start the newest round of tests. This one was supposed to test how well Webb was going to handle the various stages of being launched which, if Webb was being totally honest with himself, he was worried out of his mind every time he was reminded of it.

 

"Y..Yeah. I'm ready to start the test." He shakily answers, holding his arms close to his chest. It was a nervous habit he had picked up, though he constantly had to remind himself to stop doing it or he might scratch a mirror. Webb watches as the technician gives him a sympathetic smile and closes the door. After a few seconds he realises that the door now being closed is steadily freaking him out even more. It's not that he doesn't _trust_ the technicians running this test, he does! Well, he trusts _these_ technicians. There's another one that works at this facility that Webb won't let touch him. Not since the voltage incident. _'Focus, Webb. I need to focus on anything going wrong.'_ He reminds himself.

 

Sitting alone in a dark, cramped, little chamber meant to mimic the rocket he'd be flying up in wasn't comfortable. The rocket itself was actually something Webb was very much so worried about. Another thing onto his mile-long list of various anxieties the poor telescope had.

 

The test starting startled Webb out of his swirling thoughts. Well, technically _jostled_ is the correct term here. He didn't like understating things, especially not things that were as viscerally uncomfortable as _this_. The test chamber violently and _loudly_ shook, mimicking what a launch sequence was supposed to feel like. As he continued to be jostled around, his neck, arms, and shoulders felt like they hurt more than they probably should have, but Webb didn't want to call off the test just yet. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to prove to NASA that he was good enough to be launched, even if he didn't necessarily _want_ to be launched. He didn't want anymore setbacks. He didn't want NASA to waste anymore money on him. He wanted to join the other spacefaring bots out in space! Even if the thought of being launched _terrified_ him to no end and the thought of doing the mission NASA had set out for him made him feel _helpless_ , he still wanted to make it out there!

 

As the test went on, the pain in Webb's neck and shoulders grew. He started to become worried- No. Not worried. He started to _panic._ Especially when the pain really started to _hurt._

 

"Stop. StOP. STOPSTOPSTOP. _STOP THE TEST_ ." He shouted, panic making his voice quiver and shake. He shouted as loud as he could, unsure if the technicians could even _hear_ him over the loud rumble of the test. He held his head in his hand, trying to ignore the searing pain in his shoulders as he waits for the test to _hopefully_ stop.

 

After a minute that felt like years, he noticed the test _finally_ beginning to stop. He felt his body being shaken around less and less, the pain at least somewhat going away. He forced himself to look up when he heard the doors open, multiple technicians looking at him worriedly.

 

"Is everything alright, Webb?" One of them asks, stepping to the side to allow Webb enough room to crawl out of the test chamber. "What was it that scared you?" Another asks.

 

 _Scared him_ ? Oh. So that's what they thought he called off the test for. Webb hated the fact that, in his 2 years of being awake, he'd already made a name for himself in being so easily worried and scared. If he could have grimaced, he would. But, unfortunately, NASA didn't give him the same facial features as they had the other Earthlings. "It... It didn't scare me. It _hurt._ It hurt my neck, my arms, and my shoulders." He mutters quietly, eyes trained on the floor.

 

"Here. Let me have a look at your shoulders. Come over here and sit on the ground so I can have a look." The third technician replies, pointing him towards the side of the room while they run up the stairs to get on the railing. Right. Webb sometimes he forgot he was so huge the technicians needed to have some kind of help to look at him sometimes. He complies, sitting down with his legs crossed like a child where the technician had told him to sit.

 

He felt the technician's tiny hands poking around his neck and shoulders, asking him to hold various poses with his arms before he hears the technician behind him give a heavy sigh. Uh oh. That wasn't good.

 

"A bunch of bolts came loose. The pain he felt was the sheets of metal freely moving around, which poked and prodded the pieces still in place as well as some of the wires." The technician explains. "We'll have to move the date back _again._ My guess is somewhere in late 2020 or somewhere in 2021. We _need_ to make sure that everything is tightened securely."

 

Webb hangs his head down low. Here he thought everything would go fine today. Maybe they would've even moved the launch date up if they thought everything was good to go but all he got instead was an aching upper back and yet _another_ delayed launch date.

 

A technician must've noticed his unhappiness because one of them approached him and well, at least _tried_ to reassuringly touch him. A feat that's hard to accomplish when the person they're trying to reassure is almost 12 and a half times their size. "Don't you worry, Webb. We'll get you up there soon. Someday you'll be up there taking just as good of pictures as all the other telescopes. Maybe even better."

 

Webb tries to force himself to sound excited instead of fearful. "Y..You really think so?" He asks.

 

"I 100% promise it." The technician responds.

 

Somehow that just makes Webb feel even worse.


End file.
